07.18.07

Reader Eric Roehrig brings the follow item from SI.com’s Jonah Friedman to our attention, concerning the likelihood of Oakland A’s owner Lewis Wolff being granted a new MLS franchise in San Jose.

MLS wants to add two more teams by the 2010 season, which would mean another franchise in each conference. If the league’s preference of a guy like Wolff (above) is any indicator, that would put two movements in the driver’s seat:

¢ One by the owners of the New York Mets, who obviously have the cash and the infrastructure to add a second team in the Big Apple. The New York Times reported that Fred Wilpon and his staff are exploring the idea, and league sources tell me they’re taking this one very seriously.

¢ One in the Pacific Northwest. The league sold the regional rights to Michael Keston, another L.A.-based real estate developer with a similar pedigree to Wolff. He’s expected to choose this summer between Seattle or Portland, Ore., as a viable place to build a team. (Or MLS could live dangerously and go with an intriguing consortium in Las Vegas and its proposal for a $500 million roofed stadium in Sin City.)

Of the former possibility, Roehig writes, “this might be good news for me, as I’ve been without a team since Christian Laettner bought DC United.” Indeed, this might be pretty cool, if only so we can look forward to Wilpon-approved mouthpiece Fran Healy calling the games.

Granted, the Franster has little footie acumen to speak of, but that didn’t stop him from working Mets telecasts.